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Akbar Novruz

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Azerbaijan’s tourism sector, long driven by inflows from traditional markets like the CIS and Gulf countries, is experiencing nuanced changes that both validate its diversification efforts and reveal emerging challenges. According to the State Border Service, 735,800 foreigners and stateless persons visited Azerbaijan between January and April 2025—a modest increase of 1.3% compared to the same period last year. Visitors came from 174 countries, with the largest shares originating from Russia (24.2%), Türkiye (18.0%), India (11.0%), and Iran (9.0%).

One of the most striking trends is the significant increase in arrivals from non-traditional markets. Visitor numbers from Israel surged 2.8 times, while arrivals from Tajikistan doubled. Other sharp increases were recorded from China (1.7 times), Jordan (45.6%), India (32.9%), and several Western nations including the United States (20.2%), Canada (15.5%), and Spain (28.8%). These figures suggest that Azerbaijan’s tourism appeal is broadening geographically, possibly due to increased air connectivity, targeted promotion campaigns, and diplomatic outreach.

However, this growth has not been evenly distributed across all regions. Notably, the number of visitors from the Gulf states fell by 3.4% to 117,800, while arrivals from CIS countries dropped more sharply by 9.2% to 243,000. European Union tourist numbers rose only slightly by 1.8%, reaching 27,800.

Commenting on the evolving trends, Vugar Bayramov, a Member of Parliament, told Azernews:

“In the first 4 months of 2025, the number of tourists from the Gulf countries to Azerbaijan decreased by 3.4 percent. During this period, a total of 117 thousand tourists from the Arab States came to our country. The preference of citizens of the Gulf countries for new destinations played a special role in the decrease in the number of tourists from this region. At the same time, a number of procedural rules and the still high prices of tourism services did not fail to affect the number of visitors from the Gulf countries.”

Bayramov further noted that while there is positive growth from countries such as India, Pakistan, and China, the drop from historically reliable source markets like the Gulf states and CIS countries signals the need for policy recalibration. As he put it:

“As can be seen, Azerbaijan has recorded a decrease in the number of arrivals from the Gulf states and CIS countries, which are important destinations for inbound tourism. This makes new challenges in the development of the tourism sector even more urgent.”

The data also shows that air travel remains the dominant mode of arrival (71.8%), with road and rail (26.6%) and sea (1.6%) making up the rest. Meanwhile, outbound tourism by Azerbaijani citizens dropped slightly by 0.9% to 632,700. Travel to Iran and Georgia increased, while trips to Türkiye and Russia declined, potentially reflecting changing geopolitical dynamics and personal travel preferences.

In summary, while Azerbaijan’s inbound tourism continues to grow slowly and diversify, the decrease in visitors from Gulf and CIS countries underscores the need for adaptive pricing, improved infrastructure, and refined visa procedures. The shift in tourism patterns is not only a signal of changing regional preferences but also a call to action for the country to enhance its competitive positioning in a fast-evolving global tourism market.